The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, has declared the Port Harcourt port is collapsing as a result of old age having approached the end of its lifespan.
Usman made
this known during the stakeholders meeting Monday, saying the seaport quay
walls were weak and at the point of collapse.
She said this was contained in a survey report after an
inspection of the seaport by experts.
“We have noted the fact that the quay walls along the Port
Harcourt Port are weak and they are at the point of collapse. We instituted a
conditional survey, which report was sent to us that the Port Harcourt Port has
reached the end of its lifespan,” she said.
Usman disclosed that the management will soon approach the
Ministry of Transport and its board to approve “a full rehabilitation and
reconstruction of the port in totality”.
Usman explained that health and security issues forced the authority
to decommission terminal B in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, being operated by
BUA Ports and Terminals Limited.
She disclosed that the terminal operator had even confirmed
its fears about security when it sent a letter complaining that the terminal
was unsafe.
The terminal operator had gone to court to protest the action
of the NPA management.
Usman disclosed that the management received a contempt of
court notice to the authority.
But in her defence, Usman said NPA has not violated any court
order based on its action to terminate the concession agreement and subsequent
decommissioning of the terminal.
She explained that the terminal failed to comply with the
port development plan as stated in the agreement, adding that the attention of
the terminal operator had been drawn to this but it failed to take action
Leave a Reply